ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. – The ULM Softball team (13-5) returns to action this week with a single non-conference game at Louisiana Tech at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8 at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. After the Warhawks' six-day road trip at the Plainsman Invitational at Auburn with games at Alabama State and at Jacksonville State, ULM practiced over the last several days to prepare for Tuesday's game and the upcoming conference portion of its schedule.
 
"Our practices have been really good," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "We got back late Wednesday night from our Alabama trip and I was a little worried about Thursday's practice, but our team was rejuvenated – we probably went about a week without practicing with our game schedule. I think they missed it and they were excited to be there."
 
Fichtner and the Warhawk staff have emphasized situational hitting with the team during practice, an area that could see improvement.
 
"We talked to the team about coming through with the big hits and getting people over when needed," Fichtner said. "We talked about the 'one-pitch opportunity,' and not fouling it off, doing the job with it, and taking advantage of the good pitches we get."
 
The Warhawk pitching staff continues to shine and leads the Sun Belt Conference with a 2.17 ERA, good for 39th nationally. ULM ranks in the top 40 in stolen bases per game at 37th (1.72) and is 45th in scoring, averaging 5.83 runs per game, and 49th in on-base percentage at .389.
 
Individually in the circle, Kassidy Giddens (ERA 0.97) and Kinsey Kackley (ERA 1.11) are ranked one and two in the league in ERA and are 36th and 44th nationally, respectively. Giddens ranks 13th nationally as she allows only 3.23 hits per 7-inning game. Gianni Hulett is tops in the Sun Belt with two saves so far this season for ninth nationally.
 
Lourdes Bacon's 24 hits are best in the league as she extended her hitting streak to 10 games last week. Bacon (0.89) and Ashlan Ard (1.00) have each scored 16 runs and rank seventh and fifth, respectively, in average runs scored per game. Bacon is sixth in the Sun Belt with her team-best .407 batting average.
 
The Lady Techsters are 15-8 overall and went 4-2 in the LSU Crossover Tournament over the weekend with their only losses coming to the nationally ranked LSU Tigers and Ragin' Cajuns. Louisiana Tech centerfielder Sierra Sacco went 6-7 in two victories over Sun Belt foe Troy, hitting a single to drive in a run to break a 4-4 tie in the top of the sixth while Bailey Wright singled to centerfield to plate two runs for the 7-6 final in game two. LA Tech took advantage of seven walks in
 
Louisiana Tech has benefitted from 91 walks, nearly double the total of its opponents, for a No. 3 ranking nationally. The Lady Techsters are sixth in the nation in double plays turned per game at 0.70.
 
Sacco's 31 hits so far this season places her seventh in the country and she has 10 stolen bases this year. Brooke Diaz (4), Lindsay Edwards (3) and Maddie Green (3) have combined for 10 of the Lady Techsters' 14 home runs. Pitcher Audrey Pickett is 9-2 and her nine wins rank her ninth in the nation. She is third in the nation in innings pitched at 81.1
 
If live stats are available for Tuesday's road game at Louisiana Tech, the link will be added to the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.